A humanitarian design field guide · 44 pages

Draw less.
Listen more.

A field-tested framework for designing responsibly across cultures, climates, economies, and borders. Created for universities, JI volunteers, and anyone who wants to use their skills to bless the rest.

Open the field guide See what's inside

The work before the work

Good design
starts by listening.

A building can be technically sound and still fail the people it was meant to serve. The hardest questions come before the first line is drawn.

How does a community gather? Who makes decisions? Which materials, skills, regulations, seasons, risks, and beliefs shape everyday life? Draw Less. Listen More. turns those questions into a repeatable process—one built around respect, local knowledge, and partnership.

Inside the field guide

From first question
to final build.

Four connected stages guide a team through the full arc of a humanitarian design project, with checklists, deliverables, case studies, diagrams, and field-tested questions along the way.

01
Launch
Build the right team, define the relationship, and begin with humility.
02
Research
Read the climate, culture, economy, customs, and community before drawing conclusions.
03
Design
Translate what you learn into resilient, locally appropriate places with dignity.
04
Build
Prepare clear documents and support construction within real local constraints.